Do you do your own maintenance?

[Reichart12]

Just swapped my engine over the course of a couple weeks out from my townhouse. Had a shop do the machining and putting the bottom end in and head parts together but I bolted everything together from there. Learning as I go is half the fun.

[rturbo 930]

I do my own work because I am poor, and also because I don't trust a shop to do the job properly. If I could afford to pay a shop, and also know that they would do the work to my standards, I would never work on my car again.

[hippiester]

I do my own work for peace of mind. I on't really trust shops since ive heard/read about so many horror stories. Some jobs are more intimidating, but everything ivd done with the help of reading r3v and googling.

Owning a car with such a great fanbase is pretty amazing

Thanks r3v

[ccsdo5]

I do pretty much everything myself as of right now. But I enjoy doing it since I like knowing how things work and putting stuff together and apart. I do read a lot on the stuff I don't know, and in the rough 3-4 years of me learning about cars and messing with my truck, and e30's I've gotten pretty knowledgeable, there's no alternative to experience in my eyes. But I'm sure when I can afford it when I get older I'll be bringing my cars to shops to do some of the bigger jobs I don't want to do. But I'm only 20 so that'll be a long time from now lol

[ThatOneEuroE30]

I dont care whats getting done I will never let a shop touch my car i just dont like the fact of other people fixing my shit

[UlrichFennec]

I'm set on waiting and testing and learning everything until I figure out the problem unless it's like broken valves or something where a machine shop needs to be involved. With the bentely + R3V + google + youtube the knowledge is out there ready to be used. My parents are chill and let my car sit in the driveway, and all I need to do is work and make money for tools/ parts to diagnose and test and repair

I actually downloaded a Bentley Manual recently. I just fixed the standing water problem in my rear passenger footwell. My elephant trunk was filled with all sorts of crap, and now I don't have to worry about wet floorboards anymore! Saved her from rust before it happened.

[Vincent Brick]

I do everything myself unless it requires large tools I can't justify owning, which is more often than it used to be since moving to California means no longer being able to afford a garage, and thus having to leave 90% of my tools with my Pops in Ohio. I used to buy bigger tools when I needed them, but no longer have a place to keep them. Fortunately my roommate is a tech at an indie BMW shop so big jobs get done there with his assistance, the owner is cool and I can use a lift when I need it, and I have a lift and tools at my job as well. Until meeting this roommate, no one had touched my cars in over a decade except for paint/body and alignment, but him, I trust him more with my shit than myself. It was really strange that first time he jumped in and started changing my oil, like, no one changes my oil but me wtf. lol

[e30onBBSs]

I'm set on waiting and testing and learning everything until I figure out the problem unless it's like broken valves or something where a machine shop needs to be involved. With the bentely + R3V + google + youtube the knowledge is out there ready to be used. My parents are chill and let my car sit in the driveway, and all I need to do is work and make money for tools/ parts to diagnose and test and repair

[F34R]

The only thing I have ever paid for is: low profile mount and balance and alignment for Polly, I always did front alignment myself.

If I did not know how I researched and asked questions.

[doorman]

I take all our cars for oil changes.

BMWs to an Indy close by and the Honda to a local oil change place.
20+ years of oil changes.....tired of the mess after!

[redsubdivisions]

people take E30s to the dealer?

I'm pretty sure you could fix an E30 exclusively with chewing gum, zip ties and duct tape as your only tools..

I've seen it, especially down here. Doesn't happen often at all but when it does, it's usually the original owner.

[nando]

people take E30s to the dealer?

I'm pretty sure you could fix an E30 exclusively with chewing gum, zip ties and duct tape as your only tools..

[Das Delfin]

I need to find myself a buddy out here in Colorado to help me work on my car and show me the ins and outs. It'd sure as hell make things a lot easier on me.

I don't know anyone around here to help wrench on my car. Except sometimes I make the gf help. I look everything up like a million times in advance so that when I have to go and do anything it's easy because I'm prepared. Eventually you get more competent and develop more of an understanding with how things will go. But I would never pay someone to fix my car because it's not economical and I just want to be sure everything is done right.

[AndrewBird]

Makes sense, but some people might be in a particular situation not making it easy or might be limited to what they can do, like me. I hope this doesn't make me sound like a shitty owner for not working on it all myself.

I did a head gasket in my apartment complex parking lot. So glad I'm living in a house again.

[UlrichFennec]

other than really one really weird issue i was having, i do all my own work, including building my own engines, upholstering my own seats and everything else bolted on to the chassis of an e30.

I'm gonna build my own stuff one day. I'm going to an automotive trade school soon and I'm gonna own an independent shop in many years from now. At least I hope so. My E30 is pretty much getting my foot in the door on being a mechanic.